


Words Spoken in Silence

by WritersKitten



Series: Life in Arda [2]
Category: TOLKIEN J. R. R. - Works & Related Fandoms, The Silmarillion and other histories of Middle-Earth - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-19
Updated: 2016-11-19
Packaged: 2018-08-31 23:49:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,014
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8598715
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WritersKitten/pseuds/WritersKitten
Summary: Findekáno likes baby-sitting, except when it's with Maitimo. Except when they're in the kitchen. Except when they're baking and everything becomes messy. Except when everyone snuggles up in bed later, and he hopes everyone's asleep so they won't hear the quiet conversation. Too many exceptions ...





	

“Who's ready for bed?” I grinned, placing my hands on my hips and surveying the mess that was the dining table. Irissë and Tyelkormo looked up from where they were busy throwing flour and remains of dough at each other. Maitimo sat by the fireplace where he kept an eye on the cookies they had just completed, while Carnistir was drifting off in his lap. He smiled slightly, the fire reflecting dangerously in his eyes. A good dangerous that made heat surge through me. Shadows danced across his face.

I forced my attention back to Irissë, Tyelkormo and their mess, and sighed. “After bath.”

“No!” Irissë shot up from her seat and made a bee-line for the back door, immediatelly followed by Tyelkormo.

I ran a hand down my face, groaning. “Why is it always those two.” Quickly I followed them, hearing their laughter ringing through grandpa's garden. There was no chance I was going to catch them. If Tyelkormo didn't want to be caught, he wouldn't be. He had shown that much already.

Half-way towards the Rose Path I stopped. Tyelkormo and Irissë were quiet now, which either meant they were hiding, or Maitimo and I had failed as baby-sitters and they had escaped us completely. Go figure.

Taking another few steps, I heard a slightly rustle of leafs and a soft hiss.

“I know you're there.”

Silence.

“Come on, we're not playing this game now. The promise was that you should be in bed by the mingling of the lights.”

Not a sound.

“Fine. No cookies for any of you. Carnistir gets them all.” I turned and headed back towards the kitchen. Three … Two …

There was a much louder rustle, then someone was running. “Wait!”

I continued walking.

“Finno!” Irissë grabbed my hand, staring up at me with huge eyes. “He didn't help! He doesn't deserve them!”

I arched an eyebrow, noticing a barely visible shadow behind the bushes. “And you do?”

“Yes!”

“But you just ran off.”

She blinked quickly, latching onto my waist. “I'm sorry. Can I have cookies, please?”

“If you do as I say.”

“Promise.”

“All right.”

“Can Tyelko have too?”

“If he stopes sneaking around.”

Almost before I finished speaking, a blond head popped up on my other side, and Tyelkormo stared at me with crossed arms. “You can't tell me what to do.”

“And yet you're here.”

He huffed. “Just because I want to.”

“U-huh.”

“Only dad can tell me what to do.”

“And when your dad isn't here?”

“Then -”

“Then I tell you what to do.” Maitimo had come out of the kitchen, carrying Carnistir. His eyes were narrow as he regarded Tyelkormo, and for a moment he was eerily similar to Nerdanel, with the same stern gaze, the same frown, the same set jaw, just more angular. He could have been Nerdanel's equal, had she not been curvy – had he not been angular. Or perhaps there was a softer edge to him, and perhaps there was a sharper edge to Nerdanel.

I shook myself of the musings, realising neither Maitimo nor Tyelkormo had budged.

“Bath,” I stated. “Now.”

“I don't take orders from you!” Tyelkormo snapped. “Dad says -”

“Turcafinwë,” Maitimo warned.

“Fine!” Tyelkormo strode back into the kitchen and slammed the door behind himself, rattling the windows. Somewhere inside Huan whimpered and Tyelkormo went on an angry rant that disappeared down the corridor towards his room.

I sighed, taking Irissë's hand and leading her over to Maitimo. I wanted to hug him, to kiss him and hold him tightly, but had to make do with briefly squeezing his shoulder. His eyes met mine, and I tried to make him understand that I wished we were alone.

Maybe he understood, because he smiled softly.

Irissë's hand tightened around mine.

  
  


After both Irissë and Tyelkormo had been bathed, dried up and put into clean clothes, we sat in Maitimo's bedroom. Carnistir's head rested on Maitimo's chest, and Tyelkormo had curled up beside them, protesting weakly when Maitimo wrapped an arm around them both. At the end of the bed Huan was snoring away.

I hesitated, then snuggled a little closer to Maitimo's other side and pulled the blankets over all of us. Irissë was already sleeping beside me.

The room was quiet, aside from the soft breaths of Irissë and my cousins. The light was slowly changing to silver, making the shadows in the room darker.

I dropped my head onto Maitimo's shoulder, and after a second his head was resting on top of mine. Beneath the blankets he found my hand and intertwined our fingers.

I closed my eyes. “Hey, could you imagine us like this, sometime in the future, with our own children?”

He lifted his head. “Finno, you of all should know that biology doesn't -”

“I know,” I interrupted. “But if you forget that for a second … ” I peered up at him.

Grey eyes regarded me thoughtfully, and each second that passed before he answered made a piece of me break off. He was going to say no, wasn't he? He was too loyal to his family to break with everyone just like that. It wouldn't work.

His gaze softened and he smiled. “Yes, Finno.”

I blinked. “Sorry?”

“Yes, I can imagine it.” He pulled me closer, wrapping his arm around me and kissing the top of my head. “A small black-haired child, with a braid just like yours, sleeping between us. He would look every bit like you, with the same smile and the same eyes. The same bravery.”

Warmth filled me and I buried my face in his neck. “He'd have your thoughtfullness and loyalty.”

Maitimo combed his fingers through my hair, carefully untangling the knots. He hummed softly.

“I love you,” I whispered.

“I love you too.” He was starting to drift off again, his hand still caught up in my tangles.

I closed my eyes, pressing a kiss to his shoulder, happy nobody had been awake to hear our conversation. They didn't need to know about it just yet. Perhaps never.

“Finno?”

I blinked.

Irissë stared at me.

Shit.

 

**Author's Note:**

> 1\. I literally wrote this in half an hour because it's been bugging me when I should be doing homework and revising history for my mocks in a couple of weeks. I apologise for any spelling mistakes or grammar errors - please bear with a suffering student ...  
> 2\. These texts are in no correct order whatsoever, but I'd say this one is before 'Friday-Market'.


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